Low on iron
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Macrotracker34
Posts: 65 Member
Do many of you take additional supplements to keep everything topped up or do you depend just on your diet alone. I read supplements are a waste of money
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Replies
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I take supplements just to be sure.
For most people supplements are a waste of money because they get everything they need from their diet, but if your diet is restricted in any way or if you have other issues (for example, I tend towards anaemia and living in the UK I can't manufacture Vitamin D for half the year) then they may be useful.1 -
That makes sense0
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Steer clear of iron supplements unless they are PRESCRIBED. The typical dosages you see in the store are very high (like 360%). Multivitamins will have iron only when they have a child proof cap......high doses of iron can be dangerous.
Also keep in mind that iron is not going to be listed for every food in MFP. I would enter iron because this is something I track. But many people just skip over the micro-nutrients.
That said - http://www.webmd.com/diet/iron-rich-foods
Too much calcium.....iron doesn't get absorbed well. Vitamin C will help with iron absorption.
If you want a test of your iron levels, give blood.....they will check your hematocrit. If you have low iron levels, they won't let you donate.2 -
I take a multivitamin but that's about it1
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Flintstone Chewable Vitamins with Iron
I just had a c-section and my doctor recommended switching off my Prenatal gummies because I needed the additional iron that gummies don't have. My hemoglobin and iron levels were low so I take my kids Flintstone vitamins. We'll see at my next checkup if it helped1 -
Two bowls of cheerios will give you all the iron you need for the day. Many other vegetables will too. I usually just eat a big bowl of fortified cereal in the morning and I'm good for iron.1
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It depends on how low your low is. I was severely low (I needed 3 iron transfusions) and was told by my oncologist that nothing I could eat or take would help. When I was slightly anemic I was told to eat iron rich foods -- but you have to watch out what you eat with them.
Iron rich meats (like beef or some organ meats) on a cast iron skillet, spinach, iron enriched cereals, etc. Vitamin C has been thought to help with the absorption or at least negate the sometimes unpleasant side effects of a lot of iron (especially supplements) but I never noticed a difference with or without. You want to avoid milk for a time before/after because it hinders the absorption of iron.
Supplements aren't bad it's a direct way, but again woo side effects. I'd check with your Dr to see what they say on direct supplements as intake of too much iron can have dire consequences.1 -
Steer clear of iron supplements unless they are PRESCRIBED. The typical dosages you see in the store are very high (like 360%). Multivitamins will have iron only when they have a child proof cap......high doses of iron can be dangerous.
Also keep in mind that iron is not going to be listed for every food in MFP. I would enter iron because this is something I track. But many people just skip over the micro-nutrients.
That said - http://www.webmd.com/diet/iron-rich-foods
Too much calcium.....iron doesn't get absorbed well. Vitamin C will help with iron absorption.
If you want a test of your iron levels, give blood.....they will check your hematocrit. If you have low iron levels, they won't let you donate.Steer clear of iron supplements unless they are PRESCRIBED. The typical dosages you see in the store are very high (like 360%). Multivitamins will have iron only when they have a child proof cap......high doses of iron can be dangerous.
Also keep in mind that iron is not going to be listed for every food in MFP. I would enter iron because this is something I track. But many people just skip over the micro-nutrients.
That said - http://www.webmd.com/diet/iron-rich-foods
Too much calcium.....iron doesn't get absorbed well. Vitamin C will help with iron absorption.
If you want a test of your iron levels, give blood.....they will check your hematocrit. If you have low iron levels, they won't let you donate.
Really??? All the iron supplements I have found don't have nearly the prescription amount I'm supposed to be on (so I have to take more than one a day).1 -
Here in Canada the iron supplements are kept behind the counter so that the pharmacist can have a discussion first. Iron can be overdone. I am congenitally low in iron so I get the behind-the-counter pills.
I achieved an important victory last month. I was able to give blood as my iron was high enough!2 -
I'm anemic so I have to take iron. If you don't have a major iron deficiency probably just taking a multivitamin would suffice. If you do have to take iron by itself I would suggest the slow release pills...they will save you from a giant stomachache!1
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I saw someone else recommend Cheerios, so I'll throw in another fortified cereal option - Cream of Wheat. One serving is about 110 calories and 50% of your daily iron needs, which makes it a lot easier to make up the other half with what you normally eat. I also find that using a fortified cereal is easier on my stomach than an iron supplement.1
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Steer clear of iron supplements unless they are PRESCRIBED. The typical dosages you see in the store are very high (like 360%). Multivitamins will have iron only when they have a child proof cap......high doses of iron can be dangerous.
Also keep in mind that iron is not going to be listed for every food in MFP. I would enter iron because this is something I track. But many people just skip over the micro-nutrients.
That said - http://www.webmd.com/diet/iron-rich-foods
Too much calcium.....iron doesn't get absorbed well. Vitamin C will help with iron absorption.
If you want a test of your iron levels, give blood.....they will check your hematocrit. If you have low iron levels, they won't let you donate.Steer clear of iron supplements unless they are PRESCRIBED. The typical dosages you see in the store are very high (like 360%). Multivitamins will have iron only when they have a child proof cap......high doses of iron can be dangerous.
Also keep in mind that iron is not going to be listed for every food in MFP. I would enter iron because this is something I track. But many people just skip over the micro-nutrients.
That said - http://www.webmd.com/diet/iron-rich-foods
Too much calcium.....iron doesn't get absorbed well. Vitamin C will help with iron absorption.
If you want a test of your iron levels, give blood.....they will check your hematocrit. If you have low iron levels, they won't let you donate.
Really??? All the iron supplements I have found don't have nearly the prescription amount I'm supposed to be on (so I have to take more than one a day).
My Dr. prescribed iron (years ago) - yes, I remember the prescribed doses were high. When I went shopping for iron I found
Nature Made 65 mg. The "normal" daily recommended for women is only between 8-18 mg (it varies by age).
Spring Valley had 65 mg. as well
I take a multivitamin now - Centrum for Women has 7.5 mg
https://www.centrum.ca/learn/a-to-zinc-library/minerals/iron1 -
I tend to be a little lower (in my blood, not my diet), so I take a prenatal vitamin that has iron. Prenatals tend to have a bit more than regular multis, without having a TON to worry about.
I don't supplement unless I'm deficient. I take vitamin D because I live too far north to make it most of the year, and I take the iron because I give blood and am female. Supplements aren't bad if taken for your specific situation. They're just often a waste of money, as they're not magic and often unneeded.1 -
I take b12, calcium, & d3 regularly under direction of my doctor. When my iron levels get too low, she subs in some iron pills. If you aren't deficit or near deficit in something, no point in spending money on supplements.1
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Macrotracker34 wrote: »Do many of you take additional supplements to keep everything topped up or do you depend just on your diet alone. I read supplements are a waste of money
I consider vitamins and nutrient supplements different from the 'fat loss' and 'energy booster' line of products.
I do take a daily mutlivitamin and an over the counter iron tablet.
Ps-my reasons for taking iron are that I was borderline anemic during my pregnancies, and regularly test low for iron. (Not able to donate blood due to low iron.) The dosage I take is 65mg. Its more than the daily recommended 'dose' but the body also does not absorb all the iron it ingests...1 -
Depending on your diet and health needs. I take a multivitamin and doesn't include iron but I know I get plenty in my diet. You can get plenty of iron easily in foods. Cereals, beans, dark green leafy veggies, breads and pasta, seafood, poultry, red meat and pork..etc1
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I saw someone else recommend Cheerios, so I'll throw in another fortified cereal option - Cream of Wheat. One serving is about 110 calories and 50% of your daily iron needs, which makes it a lot easier to make up the other half with what you normally eat. I also find that using a fortified cereal is easier on my stomach than an iron supplement.
Along these lines..........
Grape Nuts cereal has excellent iron numbers as well - 45% for 1/4 cup. It gives a nutty crunch to salads.1 -
Thanks everyone. I feel slight anemia some months. I eat spinach regular but probably not getting enough iron some months.I don't eat much meat really, I've cut back on dairy and don't eat fortified cereal as much as I used to. However I might look into those grape nuts, like the sound of those0
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Usually before monthly visit from M Nature (sorry guys) lol0
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